Inter-, Multi- and Transdisciplinary Perspectives on Health
KU Leuven University | 6 – 11 September 2026
Application deadline: Thursday 04 December 2025 @ 11:00 UTC
The LERU Doctoral Summer School at KU Leuven seeks to foster increased cooperation in research on health across all academic disciplines and in tandem with extra-academic partners. The timing is fortunate, since 2026 also sees the opening of Leuven’s new Vesalius Museum of science, healthcare and society. Participants in the Summer School will be invited to join in pre-opening trial runs of the permanent exhibition and share their critical assessments in dedicated sessions of the Summer School programme.
Andreas Vesalius is an ideal patron scientist for a new generation of doctoral researchers from all disciplines of LERU’s comprehensive universities. Some 500 years ago, he entered Leuven University where he studied Arts before switching to Medicine in Paris five years later. Returning to Leuven, he defended his doctoral dissertation on the 10th -century Persian physician and polymath Abū Bakr al-Rāzī, and a few years later, having moved to Basel, made his lasting mark with the publication of the groundbreaking work on human anatomy De Humani Corporis Fabrica (1543). As a physician and humanist who collaborated with artists, Andreas Vesalius exemplifies the value of multidisciplinary knowledge-making. His life and work offer an inspiring frame for addressing fundamental questions about life, health, science and scholarship today.
The LERU Doctoral Summer School 2026 welcomes participants from all disciplines whose research focusses principally on health broadly conceived or promises to lend itself to extension to health research. Day One features expert surveys on inter-, multi- and transdisciplinary health research and on research-based public engagement initiatives on health, as well as a presentation of the Vesalius Museum, whose permanent exhibition will serve to loosely structure the Summer School programme. Days Two, Three and Four feature morning sessions by leading health researchers and afternoon sessions devoted to museum testings and group project work facilitated by local experts. On the final day, groups finalise their presentations and share their projects with university leaders, academics and guests.
During lunch breaks, there will be poster sessions on LERU Health Institutes and Young Researchers’ Careers Initiatives.
We aim for a course that corresponds to approximately 5 ECTS.
Please review the course advert for the preliminary timetable and further details.
Costs and course format
The registration fee for the programme is €600, which will cover materials, catering and accommodation during the programme.
Imperial will provide funding of £1000 towards the costs of participation for the nominated student. This includes the registration fee (€600) and a contribution towards travel (up to £450 can be claimed for return flights/train travel from London to Leuven and visa costs). Participants will be expected to cover any costs above £1000.
This course will be delivered on-site at KEU Leuven in Belgium. Participants should take the entry requirements into account, including vaccination requirements and visas, when arranging travel to Belgium.
Application information
Imperial has one guaranteed place on the summer school.
As part of the application, you will be asked to provide a statement of motivation (maximum 500 words). The selected candidate will later be asked to provide a statement of motivation and up-to-date CV which will be shared with LERU.
Who can apply?
The summer school is for intermediate to advanced doctoral candidates in all fields of academia. Doctoral students who are at a later stage of their PhD will benefit from the learning environment that challenges their thinking into new directions through cross-disciplinary perspectives. Candidates should be highly motivated to work intensively on this project in an international and interdisciplinary team. All sessions will be conducted in English.
Imperial College participants must:
- Be a current doctoral student (from any discipline)
- Be more than 18 months into their PhD at the time the course takes place
- Be available for the entire duration of the Summer School, and must be prepared to take part in all activities
- Be willing to prepare by completing any preparatory readings prior to the course
Successful applicants will:
- Be strongly motivated to engage with the programme theme of ‘Inter-, Multi- and Transdisciplinary Perspectives on Health’.
- Be able to explain what they hope to gain from the experience
- Be keen to connect with fellow doctoral students in international and multidisciplinary group work
- Be willing to communicate their experiences to peers and colleagues at Imperial afterwards
- Be able to demonstrate an interest in building international networks
- Be willing to be a good ambassador for Imperial
How to apply?
Applications are now open via the online Application Form.
The application deadline is Thursday 4th December 2025, 11am UTC.
Any additional queries, please contact: irop@imperial.ac.uk
Please note that it is not possible to provide feedback on individual applications.